Fall banner

I have a bone to pick with Mother Nature.  Fall is my favorite season, especially since I live in a state with so many trees and beautiful fall colors.  I also love to relish the cool weather before winter sets in for the next 6 months.  But the last 2 years have been quite a disappointment.  We have had "Indian" summers which is when it is hot way past when it's supposed to be.  Don't get me wrong, I love the warm weather, but it's really frustrating to have winter last until May, then spring happens June and July, and summer goes until October.  Winter starts back up in November.  Where is the FALL!?!

Since I can't enjoy fall outside, I have been enjoying it inside with lots of fun projects and decor.  I made this banner using my silhouette and after cutting the letters realized I should have done 2 banners for Thanksgiving and Halloween.  Oh well.  This is cute and it will do for this year.  

A fun way to keep your carpets clean

This project has been on my list for years or maybe just 1 year but a long time nonetheless.  I finally got to it and I LOVE how it turned out.  Find the tutorial here.

What I did differently:
-Well, I didn't spray paint my handle which I planned on.  I just don't have the paint and didn't want to make a trip.  Hubby liked it this way so I took his advice and left it.  But I might still do it.  I'm thinking brown.
-Also, I didn't have stain.  Another thing I'd have to run to the store for but I did have a distressed ink pad so I just used that.  It turned out just fine that way, I think.

And there you have it!

Something Blue

My sister got married last February.  Since I wasn't there for any of her showers or preparation, I decided it would be fun to throw her a Bachelorette Party.  We went with the theme of the old adage, "Something Old, Something New, etc."  Each of my sisters and I took a "Something" and got her a gift she could use on her honeymoon or shortly after that went along with it.  It ended up being really fun!

My "Something" was Blue!  I went a little overboard because I just couldn't filter all the ideas that were coming to me.  But I had 2 ideas that required the old crafty in me to come out.  And so I present them now.

My sister loves her hair accessories and I was already in baby hair accessory mode so I whip one up in adult size.  

It was really easy.  I followed a tutorial I found on Craftaholics Anonymous to form the petals.  The only difference between the tutorial and what I did is that I made more petals and put them together a little off-centered rather than having them all centered.  Then instead of using a brad to fasten, I sewed on little pearls.  It looks more delicate.  Note: Something I learned from singeing the petals is not to catch them on fire.  It's a lot harder to get rounded edges.  Also, on this one it didn't show up but on lighter fabric, it definitely shows that it's burnt.  If you like that look than great but I don't.  The same tutorial shows you how to make a nylon headband.  Instead, I just sewed on some softer elastic that I got at JoAnn.  

When I got married, someone gave us a journal.  I was not sure what to do with it until my hubby and I talked about making it a couple's journal.  We would use it to write about our spouse and our relationship.  I have a husband who loves to write and make up poems and claims to be an AWFUL verbal communicator.  So he was very excited to be able to express himself to me in a journal.  So I made one for the happy couple.

I copied the idea from another Little Birdie Secrets post.  Yes, I love them.  Here's what I did differently.  They tell you to modge podge the paper on.  MP and I have an "on again, off again" relationship and at the time we were off.  So after trying to modge podge it on, some of my paper wouldn't stay stuck.  So I took some clear packaging tape and taped it all up.  I would've used contact paper for a seamless finish but I didn't have any on hand.  Then I hot-glued the ribbon instead of sewing it.  I really like the sewed look but I have not gotten that far in my relationship with my sewing machine.  We'll start sewing paper eventually but I don't want to push it.

Bookmarks!

How is it that I, one who always has a book or 2 that I'm reading, do not have a bookmark.  I usually use the library due slip.  It helps me know how long I still have.  Well, I still needed a bookmark and found this tutorial.  Perfect!  

I was in charge of the crafts at our family reunion this summer and prepped a bunch of bookmarks for the kids.  Unfortunately, there was a lack in kids and I was left with a ton of circles and squares that needed some love so I put them all together and this is what I got.

The tutorial puts teeth on the bookmarks which is so cute because it looks like the monster is eating the book, but I was pressed for time and decided they were still cute without the teeth.

I also made a triangle bookmark that I didn't take a picture of.  I really like the ideas the tutorial gives on the triangle ones, but I think I like the squares better.

One last thing, when I made these, I actually measured and cut out a square one and a triangle one on thicker card stock and didn't fold them.  Now I just use those as templates to trace when I want to make one.  That way I don't have to measure every time.

Altering a tin and the best cookies ever!

One of my favorite things to do growing up was bake cookies.  It was so rewarding as a child to make something so sweet and delicious especially when you can eat the cookie dough while you wait for the others to bake.  My mom had a Tollhouse cookie tin that she kept all the cookies in and it was such a treat to open the pantry door to find that tin sitting in there filled with cookies.  

Now that I have a family of my own, I wanted something like my mom's tin to hold my cookies and Little Birdie Secrets had exactly what I was looking for.

And please do not underestimate the shortbread cookie recipe on the same tutorial.  Those cookies are a-MAZING!

Altered clipboard

I found the cutest tutorial for altering a clipboard and really wanted to make one but what would I use a clipboard for?  I own 1 clipboard right now and it sits in my desk draw holding blank notebook paper.  

Well, I still REALLY wanted to do this tutorial so I brainstormed.  One idea was a gift because if ever you find something you want to make that you wouldn't use, there's always someone you can give it to that will appreciate it, right?  But I did finally come up with an idea of how to use a clipboard and that is to hold my weekly menu.

Okay, enough of that...here's the tutorial.  I went with a smaller clipboard but the rest is pretty by the book.  I really wish there were more uses for the old clipboard, at least around my house, so I could make more.  I'll keep thinking but in the meantime, don't be surprised if you get one of these as a gift from me.